Ontario farmers rely on tile drainage to manage stormwater and improve productivity on cropland. But as pressure mounts on agriculture from population growth, climate-driven water scarcity and a general strain on food systems, University of Guelph researcher Dr.
Dr. Mohsen Yoosefzadeh Najafabadi, a dry bean breeder and computational biologist in U of G's Ontario Agricultural College, says drones have become increasingly common in Canadian farming as technology evolves and improves.
In some industries, a cybersecurity professional has about an hour to prevent significant business damage. Farmers, however, might have just 15 minutes, the U of G professor and Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity and Threat Intelligence has learned.
“”We found if we are not responding within that time,” he says, “hackers could cause a power outage in the farm, which could cause livestock to die.”
Experiential learning, career opportunities and connections: mechanical engineering student Evan Bennett talks about his experiences with the U of G club that plays a vital role in shaping the next generation of ag-tech leaders. Read the story on U of G News: Engineering, Ag Students Prep to Compete in U of G Club.
University of Guelph researchers are collaborating with Corteva Agrisciences and the University of Waterloo to evaluate the feasibility of using drones to broadcast winter wheat into standing soybeans, addressing a key Eastern Ontario challenge where optimal wheat seeding dates often conflict with soybean harvest timing. Read the story: Could Drone Seeding Solve a Key Ontario Crop Rotation Challenge?